Unix Backup and Recovery

Storing Your Backups

It doesn’t do any good to make really good backups, only to have your backup volumes destroyed, lost, or misplaced. You need to have a well-defined process for storing your media.

Storage in General

If you’ve read this far, you know that I consider your backups to be very important. If your backups are important, then isn’t the media on which they reside just as important? That goes without saying, right? Well, you’d never know it from most volume “libraries.” Volume “piles” is probably a more accurate term. How many computer rooms have you seen that have volumes spread out all over the place? They get stacked, piled, fall behind the systems, and a DLT cartridge works really well as a coaster for a coffee mug. (We wouldn’t want to get any coffee rings on the new server, right?)

Have you ever really needed a volume and couldn’t find it? I’ve been there. It’s a horrible feeling to know that you’ve got the file on a volume, but can’t find the darn volume! Why, then, do we treat our backup volumes like so much dirty laundry? Organize your backup volumes! Label them, catalog them, give them unique names or numbers, and put them in some sort of logical order in some sort of storage container. Do it, or the backup demon will come to haunt you!

Tip

Your ability to perform a large recovery quickly is directly related to how well organized your media is.

On-Site Storage

What about that media cabinet that you’re using for your on-site volume storage? You don’t have one, ...